Read Online Haunted (A Bishop/SCU Novel Book 15) by Kay Hooper - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kay Hooper
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had for generations been so famous that they were shipped all over the world.
Cathy could remember as a child seeing an honest-to-God sheik in town to look at the horses. Flowing headgear and all.
“What’re you doing up here in the middle of the day?” she asked.
“Mostly came up to ask Trinity if she had any leads. And to pick up my one good suit from the dry cleaner for the funeral tomorrow.”
Making a mental note to check on her own wardrobe, Cathy asked, “What did Trinity say?”
“Wasn’t in her office. I gather she’s over at Village Coffee talking to a stranger. Except word is, he’s Melanie’s brother. And a fed.”
Cathy blinked. “Seriously?”
“Way I heard it.”
“You think he’s here just to visit Melanie or because of Scott’s murder?”
“He’s not talking to Melanie,” Jackson pointed out dryly. “He’s talking to the sheriff.”
Cathy chewed on her lower lip. “Maybe Trinity just needs somebody to talk to, a cop, who didn’t grow up here. I mean, can
you
be objective about who might have killed Scott?”
Calmly, Jackson said, “I figure it was a cuckolded husband. Just not sure which one.”
“But Scott and Melanie just broke up, and they were an item for months.”
“Doesn’t mean he was faithful.”
Cathy hated finding out bad things about friends. “Dammit, did he cheat all the time?”
“It was his nature.” Jackson wasn’t in the least judgmental, just matter-of-fact. “I think most of his women caught on pretty soon, and some probably knew going in. Trinity did.”
“She did? How do you know that?”
Jackson smiled. “Just do. She’s one of the brightest people in this town and very . . . intuitive to boot. She knows people, and without being told. Horses love her. So do cats and dogs. Watch Braden with her sometime. Animals can always tell about good people.”
“I know you’ve always thought that.”
“It’s true. Take Scott, for instance. Now, we both know I didn’t care for the guy, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed things about him. Telling things. Anytime a group of you went riding, he always had something else to do. Truth is, horses didn’t like him. Neither did dogs. Even if he hadn’t been a neat freak, there’s no way he would have had a pet.”
Cathy wasn’t surprised that Jackson related people to animals; he’d been that way his whole life, probably not surprisingly given his upbringing on a ranch filled with high-strung horses, numerous other animals, and a family of bedrock-calm people.
She leaned sideways to look around him and down the sidewalk for a moment. “Yeah, Braden’s sitting outside the shop. He doesn’t get far away from her, does he?”
“No, and probably a good thing, right now especially.”
“I guess.” She realized something suddenly and frowned at him. “Wait a minute. If you believe Scott was killed by somebody’s husband, then why should Trinity be especially careful?”
“Hear about those women abducted and killed north of here?”
Cathy shivered, distracted from Scott’s murder by probably the only thing that shook her almost as much. “There isn’t much else on the news. Horrible. But that’s miles away from here, Jackson,
and
miles away from any town. Out in the wilderness.”
“Yeah. But looks like he’s heading south pretty steady, so it might be her headache eventually. And trouble for us. Of all the mountain towns here at the end of the Appalachians, we’re at the highest elevation. Closest to that wilderness.”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “Great. That’s just great.”
Jackson realized he had shaken her and was immediately sorry. “Look, it’ll probably never get that far.
He’ll
probably never get this far south. They’ve got an army combing the mountains for him.”
“I wish that made me feel better.”
He took her arm. “You need to eat before you go back to the bank. Why don’t we get a sub, and then I’ll walk you back to work, how’s
Cathy could remember as a child seeing an honest-to-God sheik in town to look at the horses. Flowing headgear and all.
“What’re you doing up here in the middle of the day?” she asked.
“Mostly came up to ask Trinity if she had any leads. And to pick up my one good suit from the dry cleaner for the funeral tomorrow.”
Making a mental note to check on her own wardrobe, Cathy asked, “What did Trinity say?”
“Wasn’t in her office. I gather she’s over at Village Coffee talking to a stranger. Except word is, he’s Melanie’s brother. And a fed.”
Cathy blinked. “Seriously?”
“Way I heard it.”
“You think he’s here just to visit Melanie or because of Scott’s murder?”
“He’s not talking to Melanie,” Jackson pointed out dryly. “He’s talking to the sheriff.”
Cathy chewed on her lower lip. “Maybe Trinity just needs somebody to talk to, a cop, who didn’t grow up here. I mean, can
you
be objective about who might have killed Scott?”
Calmly, Jackson said, “I figure it was a cuckolded husband. Just not sure which one.”
“But Scott and Melanie just broke up, and they were an item for months.”
“Doesn’t mean he was faithful.”
Cathy hated finding out bad things about friends. “Dammit, did he cheat all the time?”
“It was his nature.” Jackson wasn’t in the least judgmental, just matter-of-fact. “I think most of his women caught on pretty soon, and some probably knew going in. Trinity did.”
“She did? How do you know that?”
Jackson smiled. “Just do. She’s one of the brightest people in this town and very . . . intuitive to boot. She knows people, and without being told. Horses love her. So do cats and dogs. Watch Braden with her sometime. Animals can always tell about good people.”
“I know you’ve always thought that.”
“It’s true. Take Scott, for instance. Now, we both know I didn’t care for the guy, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed things about him. Telling things. Anytime a group of you went riding, he always had something else to do. Truth is, horses didn’t like him. Neither did dogs. Even if he hadn’t been a neat freak, there’s no way he would have had a pet.”
Cathy wasn’t surprised that Jackson related people to animals; he’d been that way his whole life, probably not surprisingly given his upbringing on a ranch filled with high-strung horses, numerous other animals, and a family of bedrock-calm people.
She leaned sideways to look around him and down the sidewalk for a moment. “Yeah, Braden’s sitting outside the shop. He doesn’t get far away from her, does he?”
“No, and probably a good thing, right now especially.”
“I guess.” She realized something suddenly and frowned at him. “Wait a minute. If you believe Scott was killed by somebody’s husband, then why should Trinity be especially careful?”
“Hear about those women abducted and killed north of here?”
Cathy shivered, distracted from Scott’s murder by probably the only thing that shook her almost as much. “There isn’t much else on the news. Horrible. But that’s miles away from here, Jackson,
and
miles away from any town. Out in the wilderness.”
“Yeah. But looks like he’s heading south pretty steady, so it might be her headache eventually. And trouble for us. Of all the mountain towns here at the end of the Appalachians, we’re at the highest elevation. Closest to that wilderness.”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “Great. That’s just great.”
Jackson realized he had shaken her and was immediately sorry. “Look, it’ll probably never get that far.
He’ll
probably never get this far south. They’ve got an army combing the mountains for him.”
“I wish that made me feel better.”
He took her arm. “You need to eat before you go back to the bank. Why don’t we get a sub, and then I’ll walk you back to work, how’s
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